Disclaimer: I do not own Tenchi Muyo! Or any of it's characters. The script
is mine and is totally original. Aekanaru is my creation, so don't steal her

from me. All other characters belong to AIC and Pioneer. And I'm not making
money off of this fic.
Ki o Tsukete
        I stand in Wasyuu's lab, overlooking everything. For some
reason,everything in that lab of Wasyuu's reminded me of my lost love.
Slowly
I made my way out of the lab, waving to Wasyuu as I closed the door behind
me. I now stood in the main room of the house. Looking around at the area
that would have usually been inhabited by her presence. It was so strange
not
having her around... everything just seemed so dull and boring. All of the
other girls who would usually complain about her all the time were always so

mellow and quiet now. Even Sasami doesn't seem as cheery as she usually is.
Sasami's usually the optimistic one.
        Shaking my head I made my way out of the room...it was bringing up
too much disturbing memories. I walked outside, then decided to maybe go get

some field work done. As I made my way there, I looked around at the
scenery.
Even though I wasn't really anywhere near I would usually see my love, I
could see her beautiful eyes looking at me lovingly. I could always see the
love there... then why did I toy with her and her rival for so long? I
regret
I ever did that...not only did I hurt the one I loved, but I also hurt one
of
my best friends.
        Her loving touch was something that I would never forget. No matter
how much time will pass after her death...her touch is one of the things I
will remember the most. I will always remember her period. She was
unforgettable. And she has shown me more care and respect than anyone I have

ever met. I think...I think I fell in love with her when I first saw her...
<Ten Years Earlier>
        I quietly tip-toed through the large chamber that Sasami said was
the room of her older sister. I looked around, wishing to fulfill my mission

so I could get off of this ship and go back home. Then, I spotted a bed not
too far off, and made out a slender figure under the covers. I couldn't see
much of her facial features from where I was, but she had beautiful purple
hair.
        So, quietly, slowly, and cautiously, I made my way towards the large

bed...which looked big enough to fit maybe two couples. I looked at the
maiden's sleeping face...she was beautiful. Her features looked so soft,
caring, and sad...I then looked at the tiara I was supposed to retrieve for
Sasami. That's when I spotted the sword that I had found in that cave near
the shrine...where the demon, Ryouko once lived.
        Gently, I grasped the sword and tried to wrench it from her grip.
Surprisngly it was a pretty good grip. I held myself over her body in a
rather sexual position as I continued to try and pull the sword from her
hands. She then awakened, and nearly screamed at my presence. Kicking me off

of her after I covered her mouth, she sent two flying logs after me.
<Years Later>
        That was ten years ago though...when she was alive and well. She was

healthy, and maybe a bit optimistic, probably where Sasami had some of her
personality from. The carrot field was just ahead of me...sometimes my love
would bring me a lunch and sit there with me until I finished. At first it
was Sasami who was preparing my lunches, but after about six months, she
began making them for me. To my surprise, the meals were great. Not only
because she was there beside me all the time, but because the food truly was

good.
        Those last few months of her life that we spent together were some
of the best of my life. Am I cursed? To forever be alone...? Is every woman
I
fall in love with supposed to die or leave me? I asked myself as I sat on my

usual stone next to the carrot field. I looked up at the sky...A tear rolled

down my cheek.
        "Kimi..." That was what I called her....It was a traditional
Japanese thing we used to do all the time. I would usually call her by the
nickname I thought up for her after she thought up of a nickname for
me...but
at certain times she would call me "anata" and I would call her "kimi".  Her

voice was so soft, sweet...and whenever she sung karaoke when she wasn't
drunk...she was great. She had the voice of an angel.. Maybe no one else
thought so, but I thought so. I thought I had heard her voice say "anata"
from behind my as a gust of wind blew by, so I turned around
quickly........but she wasn't there. Sighing heavily, I stood up off the
rock
and I got back to my work. Thoughts of "why me? Why her? Why us?"
continuously ran through my mind.
        After the usual day of work, I strapped the basket of carrots to my
back and walked home as the sun set. Sometimes she would help ease off some
of the weight on my back by carrying a little of the basket herself. I
smiled
to myself as I remembered it, feeling the load on my back ease off. I turned

my head, hoping to see my beloved's face, but it was only Ryo-Ohki...Yet I
smiled, not wanting to hurt the cabbit's feelings, not wanting her to see my

grief.
        Later that night, I sat in my room......alone. Everyone else had
turned in already, I was the only one awake. I stood up and quietly walked
out of my room, past the main room, then out onto the little dock just
outside. I sat down and looked over the lake. The moon reflected off the
surface of the glassy water. "Kimi mo Tsuki..." I whispered, a tear rolling
down my cheek for the second time that day. "Watashi mo Tsuki..." I
whispered
again as I wiped the tear away. "Tsuki no kekkon-shiki..." I whispered last.

I had always told her that...said that the moon was hers...mine...and that
the moon was the wedding ceremony that we would one day have. Sadly...she
had
left me before that dream could be fully fulfilled.
        This moon...we shared many thoughts beneath its gentle silver glow.
Many times we had simply  sat there, talking about rubbish...about our
dreams...about lost loved ones...about many things. We confided in each
other
more and more with each passing night. Then finally...the night of when I
told her my feelings for her...on that day two years ago...
<One and a half Years Ago>
        The moon was beautiful....as it always was whenever it was full. The

gentle silver glow outlined her perfectly shaped body. Her breasts weren't
too big, her hands were soft looking and were warm to hold, her eyes were a
little on the big side, but their color was beautiful...her skin wasn't too
pale, but wasn' too tanned either. It was a perfect, creamy peach
color...which all of that was topped off by her beautiful violet tresses.
        "Ai...ai shi'teru...."
        "Ai shi'teru no...watakushi itsumo desu..."
I had told her after much hesitation...then slowly...I leaned forward as she

closed her eyes and leaned foward as well. Gently, I pressed my lips to
hers,
and she pressed hers to mine. The kiss was soft, short, yet the best thing I

had ever felt. That night...we returned to bed together...hand in hand, and
we awoke the next morning, side by side and in each other's arms.
<Present>
        I will no longer be able to experience love and closeness with
her...For she is no longer here, and I only have myself to blame. Only for
two years were together. Two damn years! And how long had I known her before

then?? Only eight years. It's my fault for waiting so long...I had all that
time to tell her, yet I played around as if this were some kind of game,
enjoyed the bickering over me when I didn't even think about their feelings.

I was such a stupid and selfish person back then... It's my fault she's
gone,
and I would take my own life now just to be with her...but I can't.
        She would never want me to blame myself for her death...and there
were other reasons she would want me to kill myself. I looked down and
noticed that I had activated Tenchi-ken. I deactivated it then returned it
to
where I had picked it up from. I lay down on my bed and stared out the
window. She was still on my mind. I was only seventeen when we
met...she...eighteen...it's been ten years now, and I'm nearly thirty years
old..in three years exactly I'll be thirty, and I will stay single for the
devotion I show to my love. She may want me to move on, but if I can't join
her...I won't ever find someone else...I can never find someone else...She
was perfect in nearly every aspect and no one can replace the love she gave
me. How long was it since her death again? It's already been six months I
think...
        Her last words are still fresh in my mind...her last words to me...I

will never forget them. How could I forget them? Why would I want to? "Ki o
tsukete...Ten-chan..." with that, she smiled weakly, almost as if she were
telling me that everything was going to be alright. "Ki o tsukete..." I
whispered back to her as he body went limp. Even though she was already
gone,
I held her body in my arms, crying as Wasyuu excused everyone out of her
lab,
including herself to leave me alone with my love. I put my mouth to her ear
to whisper to her...I knew in spirit she would hear me even if I hadn't said

it to her body, but it only felt right to use the direct link to her spirit.

        "Ai shi'teru Ae-chan...Ki o tsukete...Ai shi'teru kimi ima ya
itsumo.." I then kissed her cheek, her skin was already getting cold. Not
letting my disrespectful tears fall onto her body, I hugged her again and
slowly walked out of the lab, my head bowed.
        I have to live in the present now...her memory will never fade...and

the beautiful princess will forever live in my heart...Sasami's...and
everyone's. As the sun rose over the large hill behind the Masaki Shrine, I
awoke from my dream...no...meomory of her death. I should visit her
grave...along with my mother's grave. They were buried near each other, for
they were the only women I held so close to my heart...and I had lost them
both... The Masaki men seemed to be cursed when it came to true
love...Jii-chan lost o-basama Itsuki when o-kasan was only a little
girl...oyaji had lost o-kasan Achika when I was a little boy...and now...I
had lost Ae-chan...
       I continued to look at the graves, crying as my tears fell upon the
child in my arms. She reached up for my face, gently patting my cheek. She
could speak a little..
        "Papa?"
Looking down at her, I smiled weakly as I continued to hold her, but allowed

her to look at the graves.
        "What that?" she asked, pointing to the grave stone marked with the
kanji "Aeka" on it. I cried a little more as she asked this...then looking
away from the child, I looked at the grave stone.
        "That's...your mother..." I said, tears flowing more down my cheeks.

She looked at me, then back at the grave stone. I walked to the grave and
knelt next to it, still holding my child in my arms. She reached out and
gently touched the stone.
        "Hi mama..." she quietly said, almost as if she had known that her
mother was there... I couldn't help myself, and cried a little more as I
watched my daughter. She gave the stone a light hug, then I stood up and
looked at her.
        "Aekanaru-chan...I want you to learn a phrase...."
        "Nan?" she asked as she blinked her large crimson eyes, looking up
at me. They were the exact same as her mother's..
        "Ki o tsukete..." I whispered to her...and I would whisper it to her

until she learned it. As I looked at her, her expression was only innocent
and curious. I kissed her forehead, then looked back at Aeka's grave,
smiling
weakly as I saw the faint image of her spirit sitting there, watching me and

our daughter...I hugged Aekanaru close to me, I made sure that she could see

the stone Aeka's name was engraved upon. She began to wildly tap my back,
screaming,
        "Papa! Mama!" I knew she could see Aeka...I could see Ryouko's
ghostly figure when I was a baby. Aekanaru was now one and half..thanks to
Wasyuu...she knew a little speech.
        I gently nuzzled my cheek against Aekanaru, still crying.
        "I know...and remember that she will always be there for you...."
My love will never die...and I will raise Aekanaru the way Aeka and I
promised we would raise her together...at birth...Aekanaru's name was just
"naru",but after Aeka's death...I had added "Aeka" to "naru"...in honor of
Aeka... One day..when Aekanaru's old enough...I will tell her about her
wonderful mother, and how she lived as first crowned princess of a planet
called Jurai,and how she gave up her royal status just to be with
me...Hopefully...Aekanaru will grow up one day to be just like her
mother...and hopefully...she won't make any of the mistakes that I had made
in my life.
        "Ki o tsukete...Ae-chan..." I whispered, looking up at the sky.
        "Ki o tsukete...Ten-chan...Naru-chan..." I heard her voice in the
breeze... Aekanaru began to tap me.
        "Mama! Mama!" she had exclaimed happily. I smiled, and patted
Aekanaru's back.
        "I know...it's your mother..."

Author's Notes: I used a few Japanese words in here...and I thought maybe I
would translate them.
Ki o tsukete = "Take Care"
Kimi = an intimate version of "you"
Anata = "you"
Kimi mo Tsuki = "your moon"
Watashi mo Tsuki = "my moon"
Tsuki no kekkon-shiki = "moon of the wedding ceremony"
Ai shi'teru = "I love you"
Ai shi'teru no = "I love you too"
Ai shi'teru no watakushi itsumo desu = "I love you too..I always have"
Ai shi'teru Ae-chan...Ki o tsukete...Ai shi'teru kimi ima ya itsumo.. = "I
love you Ae-chan...take care... I love you now and forever"
Jii-chan ="grandpa"
Oyaji = "father"
O-kasama = "mother"
O-basama = "grandmother"

That's about all the words I used in this story. Well, now that I have the
translations down, questions and comments are welcomed about the story.
Please send them to : aekanojuraii@aol.com
You can send flames, but I'll just probably ignore them. I would gladly
explain my inspiration for this story, but you have to email me and ask
first. I am also writing a "Trials of the Heart" series...just for your
information.